Railroad-crossing signal



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. C. ATKINSON RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed March 30, 1923 Oct. 23 19230 1,41%,877 c. c. ATKINSON A RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed March 50, 1923 QAIM ClQATmN'soN,

Patented Get. 23, lQZBD CHRISTOPHER G. ATKINSON, F HAWKINSVILLE, GEORGIA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNMQ.

Application filed March 30, 1923. Serial No. 628,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER 0. AT- KINSON, a citizen of the United States, residin at Hawkinsville, in the county of Pulaski and State of Georgia, have inented certain new and useful improvements in Railroad-Crossing Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to railroad crossing signals, and aims to provide a. novel.

and improved signal mechanism for the intersection of a highway and railroad to prevent accidents.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel signal device which can, if desired, be disposed across the highway or road, and which has normally raised signalling means adapted to move down wardly by gravity, means being provided for holding the signalling means in lowered displaying position for a period of time so as to prevent the return of the signalling means until released.

A further object is the provision of novel mechanism for automatically controlling the signalling means operated by trains approaching and leaving the crossing, so that the signal apparatus requires no manual actuation or attention, to eliminate the necessity for a watchman or attendant.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement oi parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of'what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the. accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view of the signal mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a. vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the signal device at the crossing.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of such signal device showing one of the signal plates swung down to signalling position.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the aetuating devices associated with a rail of the track.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4-.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4 looking in the opposite direction.

The signal device, which is located at the crossing, comprises a pair of posts 10 spaced apart transversely ofthe highway or road, and supporting an overhead framell which preferably extends across or bridges the road, so that the signal device is disposed across the road for the passage of trafiic under the signal members. The frame 11 has a rod 12 disposed transversely of the road substantially parallel with the track,

and signal plates 18 and 13 are hinged to the rod 12 and are normally swung apart to opposite positions within the frame. 11. Said plates contain suitable legends or signals, so that when either plate is swung downwardly, it will provide a. clear and fective warning, and it the device is disposed across the road, the signal plate or member will be disposed across the road, as se 11 i Fig. 3, to step traiiic. The signal plate or member when in lower signalling position,

'inay even provide an obstruction to prevent traffic. moving across the track.

As will hereinatter appear, the plates or members 13 and 13 are spring-actuatec to move them to raised positions when released,

and in order to hold the plates in lowered. position, latches or hcoks' la and 14s are pivoted to tie posts 10 to engage the plates 13 and 13, respectively, when they swing downwardly.

The actuating means include cables or flexible elements 15 and 15 attached to the plates 18 and 13, respectively, and passing over the pulleys 16 and 16' carriedby the frame 11, and also passing across guide pulleys l7 and 17. Said cables when pulled away from the signal device will raise the plates, and when said cables are slackcncd, the plates will swing downwardly by gravity to signalling position. Similar cables or flexible elements 18 and 18 are conneted to the latches 14C and 14, respectively, and pass over pulleys l9 and 19 carried by the frame 11, whereby when the cables 18 and 18 are pulled, the latches are disengaged from the plates.

Actuating devices for the cables are asso ciated with the track at opposite sides of and at suitable distances from the highway or road, and are suitably mounted on the track. As shown, said devices are'mounted on base plates 20 secured between the cross The shafts 22 and 22 are provided at their inner ends with upwardly extending arms 26-and 27 having their uppertermina'ls disposed at the innerside of the rail and offset adjacent to the tread of the rail to be engaged by the wheels of the train, for swinging'or tilting the arms 26 and 27 in the direction in which the train is moving, both arms 26and 27 being moved in either direction. The inner ends ofthe shafts 21 and 21 have the upwardly extending arms 28 and 28, respectively, at the inner side of the rail,

' and said arms 28 and 28 have the portions 29 extendin toward the rail across the arms 26 and 27 at those sides ofthe last named arms nearest the crossing, whereby the arms 28 and 28 are swung by and with the arms 26 and 27 when the last named arms are swung or tilted in the direction ofthe crossing, whereas the arms 28'and 28 are not swung 'when'the arms 26 and 27 are tilted away from the crossing.

Suitable springs 30 are provided for the a ms 24: and 24; to normally retain them in vertical o intermediate position, and permitting said arms to swing or tilt in either direction, and suitable springs 31v are connected to thearms 25 and 25 to return them to vertical position, thereby pulling the cables 15 and 15 for raising the plates 13 and 13. The springs 31 therefore normally support the plates 13 and 13 in raised posit1on. V I V V The parts 13, 141, 15, 16, 17, 18,19, 21, 22, 2 1, 25 and 28 are for traffic in one direction only (from the right to the left in Fig. 1),

while the other corresponding parts having the same reference numerals with prime I marks are for traffic in the opposite direction, the arms 26 and 2'7 being operable for traffic in both directions. The mechanism, as shown, is for a single track in which traffic runs in both directions on the same track.

In operation, assuming that a'train is approaching the crossing from theiright in Fig 1,'when the first wheel of the train strikes the arm 26, such-arm is "swung to ward the crossing, and in contacting with the arm 28, will also swing said arm toward the crossing, thereby slackening'the-cables 15 and 18. The cable 15-being slaclrened will permitthe signal plate 13 to swing downwardly, and it will be engaged and held by the latch 14, as seenin Fig. 3'. This 'displays a warning signal across the road to'indicate that a train is approachingthe crossing. When the train leaves the cross ing the first wheel which contacts with the 7 arm 27 will swing said arm away from the crossing, thereby swinging the arm 24: in the same direction, and pulling the cable 18 so as to swing the catch 14 to release the plate 13, whereby the spring 31 of the lever i 25 will ,returnthe lever 25' and plate 137to normal position, therebyclearing the signal device automatically.

from the opposite direction, the arm 27 'is swung to contact withxand swing the arm 28, so as to slacken the cable 15 and to per mit the signal plate '13 to swing downwardly.

l Vhen a train approaches the crossing The latch 141 engages the plate 13 and holds it in signalling position until the train'passes the arm 26 and swings said arm away from the crossing, so as to pull the cable 18, and disengage the latch 14 from the plate 13, said plate then being swung upwardly by "the spring 31 of the arm24.

Although the arms 26 and 27 are oscillated by thewheels of the trains, the arms 28 and 28 and the corresponding arms 25 and 25 are held in their displaced positions, when moved by the arms 26 and 27, re-

spectively, because the catches I14 and 141 holding the plates 13 and'13 down, will prevent the cables 15and 15 from being pulled back by the springs. 31, until the trainhas passed and left the crossing. This will avoid the continued oscillation of the arms 28 and 28, and corresponding parts,

byall of the wheels of the'train, and only the arms 26 and 27 and corresponding arms 24 and 2 1 will beoscillated by "the successive wheels' r Having thus described the invention, what is claimed asnew is:[

1. A signal device for a comprising an overhead frame, a signal plate hingedly connected with'the frame to swing upwardly within the frame andto swing downwardly to signalling position,

the axis of swinging motion of said plate being substantially parallelrwith the track,

and means for swinging said plate.

2. A signal device fora railroad crossing comprising an overhead framehaving a rod railroad crossing therein substantially parallel with thetrack, if

opposite signal plates hingedly connected with said rod to swing upwardly within the frame and to swing downwardly to signalling position, and means for swinging said plates within the frame.

3. A signal device comprising aframe a signal member mounted in the frame to move downwardly to signalling position, means for normally raising said signal memher out of signaling position and operable to permit the signal member to move downwardly, and alatch to engage the signal member and hold it in lowered signaling position against the action of said means.

4:. A signal device comprising a pair of posts, an overhead frame carried by said posts having a rod therein, opposite signal plates hingedly connected to said rod, means connected to the plates for swinging them upwardly within the frame and operable to permit the plates to swing downwardly to signalling position, and latches carried by the posts for engaging said plates in their lowered positions.

5. A signal mechanism including a movable signal member to be disposed at a railroad crossing, a latch for holding the signal member in signaling position, actuating de vices associated with the railroad track at opposite sides of the crossing, an operative connection between one device and the signal member for normally holding the signal member in inoperative position and operable by a passing train to permit the signal member to move to signalling position for the engagement of the latch, and an operative connection between the latch and other actuating device for disengaging the latch from the signal member when the train leaves the crossing.

6. A signal mechanism for a railroad crossing comprising a movable signal member adapted to move to signalling position by gravity, means associated with the railroad track for normally moving said signal member to raised position and operable by the train approaching the crossing to permit said signal member to move to signalling position, a latch for holding said signal men her in signalling position, and means associated with the track and operatively connected with the latch for disengaging the latch from the signal member when the train leaves the crossing.

7. A signal mechanism for railroad crosstuating members to be operated by the firstnamed actuating members when they are moved toward the crossing, the secondnamed actuating members normally holding the signal members in inoperative position and, when actuated by the firstnamed actuating members, permitting the signal members to be moved to signalling position.

8. A. signal mechanism for railroad crossings comprising two signal members, a latch for each signal member to hold it in signalling position, arms associated with the track at opposite sides of the crossing to be swung toward and away from the crossing by trains approaching and leaving the crossing, operative connections between said arms and latches for disengaging the latches from the signal members when the arms are swung away from the crossing, other arms associated with the firstnamed arms to be swung thereby when the firstnamed arms are swung toward the crossing, and spring actuated operative connections between the secondnamed arms and signal members for normally holding the signal members in inoperative position and for permitting the signal members to move to signalling position when the second named arms are swung by the firstnamed arms.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name'to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER C. ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

H. A. HASKINS, ISRAEL MANNEHEIM. 

